i offer my own experience as a data point
i currently own the following arc gear:
ref 3 linestage
vt100-2 amp
ref 75se amp
ref 110 amp
vt 60 amp
100.2 ss amp
v70 amp (2 of them)
in the past, i have also owned
ref 2-2 linestage
vt100-3 amp
ls26 linestage
ph 3 se phono stage
vt 50 amp
vs 110 amp
vsi 60 int amp
ca 50 int amp
tubes have worn out and been replaced, i have sent some units back to factory for upgrades and checks after long idle/storage times
but i have never had single malfunction, i have owned arc gear since 1990
this is not say that their most recent designs hasn’t gotten more complex and there might well be some issues... just that it hasn’t happened to me once, after 31 years owning multiple multiple pieces
i currently own the following arc gear:
ref 3 linestage
vt100-2 amp
ref 75se amp
ref 110 amp
vt 60 amp
100.2 ss amp
v70 amp (2 of them)
in the past, i have also owned
ref 2-2 linestage
vt100-3 amp
ls26 linestage
ph 3 se phono stage
vt 50 amp
vs 110 amp
vsi 60 int amp
ca 50 int amp
tubes have worn out and been replaced, i have sent some units back to factory for upgrades and checks after long idle/storage times
but i have never had single malfunction, i have owned arc gear since 1990
this is not say that their most recent designs hasn’t gotten more complex and there might well be some issues... just that it hasn’t happened to me once, after 31 years owning multiple multiple pieces